Milwaukee Bucks: 5 players to watch in 2018 NCAA Tournament

1. Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech

If you are looking for a team not seeded on the top-two lines but with the talent to make a run to the Final Four, look no further than the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Led by head coach Chris Beard, the Raiders turned in a dominant season behind the 1-2 punch of senior Keenan Evans and freshman Zhaire Smith.

Other than having one of the coolest names in college basketball (but not the coolest — hello there Admiral Schofield) Smith was one of the best defenders in the nation. He finished on the Big 12 All-Defensive first team, and his explosive athleticism allowed him to dictate the energy of games from the defensive end with turnovers and blocked shots.

With Smith fueling the defense and Evans fueling the offense, the Red Raiders leapt out to a 14-1 start to the season, and were en route to a Big 12 title — and a denial of Kansas — when Evans went down for a few games to injury and Texas Tech lost four straight. Despite the losses in a tough Big 12, Smith showed he could step up as needed, averaging 16.4 points per game over those four games.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft - Early March Mock Draft

Milwaukee is always in need of long defending wings, and Smith can be a perfect fit for their team philosophy. He has all of the tools to be an impact defender at the NBA-level, and offensively has enough to not kill a team on that end. The Bucks would be wise to keep a close eye on Smith, and if the Red Raiders find success in March, they could give him a long look.